Tree Service in Toluca Lake, CA
Toluca Lake was planned in 1923 around a private lake and a golf club, and some of its trees were here first. On estate lots, old groves and quiet streets, our Toluca Lake tree service trims and removes trees.
Tree care in Toluca Lake
Four neighborhoods around one private lake
Toluca Lake's trees grew up with the neighborhood, and some were here first. It was planned in 1923 on the old Forman Toluca Ranch, beside Lakeside Golf Club, which Max Behr designed in 1924. It has four parts. Hidden Village was cut into a walnut grove, and many walnuts were kept. Spring Valley had one-acre estates, with horses into the 1950s. Toluca Lake Village and postwar Toluca Woods have smaller lots. The 6-acre lake was once fed by springs and is now kept full by wells. The Garden Club, formed in 1947, planted shade trees along the streets.
In Hidden Village, the walnut trees came first. The houses were built around them.
Who governs tree work in Toluca Lake
City of Los Angeles
Tree work in Toluca Lake follows the City of Los Angeles's rules. The City protects native oaks (except scrub oak), Southern California black walnut, western sycamore and California bay laurel, plus two shrubs (Mexican elderberry and toyon), once they reach 4 cumulative inches in trunk diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground. Removing or relocating a protected tree or shrub, or doing work that could kill one, needs a permit from the Urban Forestry Division, and the application must include a report from a City-defined "Tree Expert." Approved removals come with replacement planting requirements. Rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before work begins — filing a permit is the property owner's responsibility, not ours.
Source: Photographic Guide to the City of Los Angeles Protected Trees and Shrubs (September 2024)
The work
Toluca Lake estate lots: old grove trees, palms and careful removals
Supreme Tree Experts prunes and removes estate trees in Toluca Lake, where Hidden Village kept its old grove trees. For a big shade tree over a curbless street, Toluca Lake families turn to Supreme Tree Experts.
Tree Removal
We take out declining trees on Toluca Lake lots, lowering big limbs in sections. City rules protect native oaks, sycamores and California bay laurel at 4 cumulative inches. Removal of one needs a city permit backed by a Tree Expert report.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Our crews thin big shade trees in yards here so light and air reach the lawn below. The Garden Club, formed in 1947, planted many trees to shade and cool the hot streets. Those along the street stay in the city's care.
Stump Grinding & Stump Removal
We grind stumps well below the soil, so the spot can take a new tree, bed or lawn. Approved removals of protected trees come with replacement planting rules. A clean, ground-out spot makes that replanting simple.
Palm Tree Trimming & Skinning
We take off dead fronds before they fall and crack the roof tiles on Spanish-style homes common here. Years of old frond bases build up on the trunk, and our lift truck crew strips them away. The trunk ends up clean and even.
Emergency Tree Service
Our crews respond 24/7 when a storm drops a heavy limb or whole tree here. Many streets have no curbs or sidewalks, so a fallen tree blocks traffic at once. We clear the road and the house.
Tree Maintenance
Our yearly visit checks each yard tree for dead limbs, decay in old wood and signs of thirst. The springs that once fed the 6-acre lake faded as the water table dropped. Trees here now rely on your watering.
Tree Height Reduction
We lower trees that have outgrown the smaller postwar lots, cutting each leader to a lower branch and never topping. Lots in the postwar parts of the neighborhood leave less room for big crowns. A reduced crown keeps its shape.
Estate Tree Care
We plan the upkeep of each tree on one-acre estate lots, where some trees predate the houses. Homes like the 1929 Bakman House date from the neighborhood's first years. Each tree gets looked at in turn on a yearly schedule.
Tree Shaping & Shrub Shearing
We clip hedges and shrubs on smaller lots so they stay off the sidewalk. Toluca Lake Village lots run 6,000 to 7,000 square feet, with sidewalks out front. A neat edge keeps the walk open.
Landscaping
Our planting plans account for mature size, so each tree fits its spot. The Garden Club set 13 dwarf lemon trees in planters on Riverside Drive. Small citrus like that suits tight beds and patios here.
Hardscape
We lay new paths and patios clear of the big roots that have spread under lawns since the 1920s. In Hidden Village, homes were fitted around an old nut grove, so trees and paving sit close. We give old roots room.
Reviews to read before you book in Toluca Lake
Every word below was written by a customer on Google, not by us. Long reviews are shortened to fit the card — never reworded. None of them was left in Toluca Lake: they come from customers across Southern California. Read them for how a crew behaves on a job, then decide whether that is who you want in Toluca Lake.
“Great pricing & service. Highly competent with tricky jobs. We have used them for more than 10 years.”
Melanie Butler
Local Guide
“We got bids from five contractors. After I talked to them all and checked out their licenses and work, we decided to go with Supreme. … The job took a day and a half, and when they were done, they left the place immaculate.”
Hank Shaeffer
“Great tree trimmers! I’ve used Supreme Tree Experts twice to trim the palm trees in my yard. … The guys who come out are quick thorough, and clean. And very careful not to damage property.”
Emilie Pacheco
“These guys have worked on my property 3 times now. They are always on time and do a fantastic job. I highly recommend them!”
Ray Thompson
“After soliciting several quotes on some difficult yard work, we chose Supreme because of their licensed Arborist Temis … The crew was extremely hard working and we couldn’t believe their continuous work ethic on one of the hottest days of the year.”
Gary Brown
Local Guide
The arborist, license, family and trucks behind Toluca Lake estate work
Tree work goes wrong when it is rushed or under-equipped. We run our own 75-foot boom trucks, lift trucks, chippers and stump grinders, and every crew works under an ISA Certified Arborist — so the job gets done right the first time.
We hold California license #1002853 for both landscaping and tree and palm work, we are bonded, we carry general liability and every employee is on workers’ compensation.
ISA Certified Arborist
An arborist visits for free and walks the lot with you, from the street tree out front to the old walnuts of Hidden Village.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Historic homes like the 1929 Bakman House deserve a careful crew. Ours work under license #1002853, carry a bond, and every worker is insured.
Southern California Since 1985
The homeowners group here dates to 1934. Our business started in 1985, and one family has owned it ever since.
Our Own Equipment
Big estate trees need reach. We own 75-foot boom trucks, a lift truck for palms, chippers and stump grinders.
How tree work in Toluca Lake runs, start to finish
- 01.
Walk the grounds
Our arborist looks at each tree, from walnut to palm, and notes which ones are the city's.
- Every tree noted
- Estimate at no charge
- 02.
Agree the work
You see the cuts and pick the day, with truck parking planned for streets without curbs.
- Cuts agreed
- Parking planned
- 03.
Quiet finish
The crew cuts, chips on site and grinds the stump if you ask, then leaves the lot tidy.
- Chips taken
- Stump if asked
Straight answers for Toluca Lake
6 questions about tree work in Toluca Lake, answered without the sales language. If yours is not here, call 877-787-7363 and ask.
Many are older than the houses. Hidden Village was a walnut grove before it was a neighborhood, and its lots were cut into the grove so many trees could stay. It has no sidewalks or curbs, which keeps a country feel. Old walnuts need regular checks for dead limbs and decay.
Partly the neighbors. The Toluca Lake Garden Club, formed in 1947, planted trees in its early years to shade and cool the hot streets. More recently it placed 13 dwarf lemon trees in planters on Riverside Drive. Street trees are in the city's care, and yard trees are yours.
Because its springs faded. The 6-acre lake was fed by artesian springs. Well pumping and the 1930s concrete channel on the river lowered the water table, so community wells now keep it full. Its bottom is lined with 4 inches of asphalt concrete, and the lake is private.
They need a plan. Spring Valley's estates sit on lots of about one acre, and homes like the 1929 Bakman House date from the neighborhood's first years. Lots with many large trees are easier to care for on a yearly schedule, so each tree is looked at in turn.
Yes — $600 for tree services, wherever the job is. Price here depends on the size of the trees and how much room our truck has on streets without curbs.
Yes, 24/7. Big old walnuts and shade trees here can drop a heavy limb in a storm, and on a curbless street it blocks traffic at once. Call 877-787-7363.
Toluca Lake on the map
Toluca Lake covers 1.22 square miles in the San Fernando Valley, around its private lake and golf club.
- ZIP code
- 91602